PUK leader: Ready to negotiate on the formation of a new government
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, the leader of the Patriotic Unionof Kurdistan (PUK), Bafel Talabani announced his party’s readiness to enternegotiations for forming a new government in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.
Speaking during a panel at the Middle East ResearchInstitute (MERI) Forum in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, He stated that“conditions are favorable for implementing changes within the KurdistanRegion.”
“We will never be in opposition. It is crucial for allparties to participate in the political process,” Talabani emphasized.
Regarding the formation of a new government, he said,"We are ready to engage in negotiations with all parties, but in a newdifferent approach that moves beyond past methods."
The PUK leader expressed his wish to form a new governmentas soon as possible, stressing the need to “rebuild citizens' trust inKurdistan Region institutions. We are no longer in the 1990s, and the nextgovernment should remain free from partisan influence.”
PUK emerged as the second-largest political faction in theKurdistan Region’s sixth parliamentary elections, securing a total of 23 seats,following the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which led with 39 seats.
The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announcedthe final results on Wednesday, revealing the PUK's strong showing,particularly in Al-Sulaymaniyah, where it won the majority with 15 of the 38seats allocated for the province. The PUK also gained six seats in Erbil andone in Halabja. In Duhok, where the KDP traditionally dominates, the PUKsecured one seat out of the 25.
